


The Cold God

by VanG



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Loki Does What He Wants, Loki Feels, Loki Lies, Loki Redemption
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-16
Updated: 2017-07-23
Packaged: 2018-08-22 20:02:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8298710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VanG/pseuds/VanG
Summary: Loki's body is located frozen in polar ice. Unsure if he is dead or alive, SHIELD excavate, for numerous reasons. Weak from self induced coma and an Asgardian serum brought back by Thor to induce fatigue and weakness, Loki begins an unorthodox relationship with a genius, if somewhat atypical SHIELD researcher.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So as an experiment, this fic intentionally starts with almost-sex, because I don't usually write sex. Not even I'm entirely sure where it leads yet, but I have a few ideas.
> 
> Oh and it's set on a rather under-equipped, understaffed SHIELD base in either Antartica or the Artic (somewhere polar anyway) although this may also change.

...that was close enough. Flirting with the devil, much? Except it wasn't just me flirting.

I was close enough to feel his chest rise and fall. 'We can't do this' I said (hey how many great and tragic sexual encounters started with those very words...) but still rested my head on his shoulder, softly pressing my cheek against his. His skin felt cool, what am I saying? His skin is cold, but not too cold. I took a step back straightening up but then lay my hands lightly on his shoulders, still holding myself back. He took both my hands in his and we interlocked them, and he looked down at me. 

Unlike his face his hands were warm. I loosened a hand free just to raise it in order to let his fingers lightly, slowly graze my palm, teasing my skin. His other arm now around my back, cue my awareness of my breathy exhaling..inhaling, and his open lips now resting on my slightly lowered forehead. Oh god this is real, I thought and brought my arms around a lean waist, my fingers finding, seeking out bare skin under shirt material, soft skin. I traced my fingers over an outline of luscious hip bones, pulling lightly at a leather belt, not demanding but desiring. I stopped, wrapping my arms entirely around him passing the contour of the small of his back with first my left hand then right. I looked up, into his eyes, finally facing what I was avoiding, and our mouths greeted each other.

Loki..

Is there any other way to describe a kiss other than hot, wet...? And chaotic. Tongues interlocked gently. A pairs of lips pulled slowly on a singular one, teeth tickled and pulled on a lower lip. With primal urge I bit cautiously at his chin and paused a second. My breathing was heavy and fast and I could feel blood flushing my chest and rushing through my body. I tensed my thighs together and revelled in heightened sensitivity but then took a step back, and looked up at him once more. Finding the hem of my shirt I tugged it over my head. My bra was plain and black, lacking frills, almost 'regulation military issue' and I had no idea if he had any appreciation of the human female form, if Asgardians had any appreciation of breasts of any size but I had the confidence to believe he didn't give a fuck. He was in this as deep as me and this was primal. His eyes, never left me. My eyes were wide and I was open mouthed. 

Kisses. Kisses on my neck and almost bare chest. The sensation of hot lips. At the same time I felt my straps become loose on my shoulders as strong fingers unhooked me, then I felt an adept thumb and forefinger at my left nipple pulling at my piercing and a mouth on my right. Slowly and precisely he squeezed until I felt the beginning of delicious pain. Upon soliciting a gasp from me he loosened his grip and I could have sworn I felt all the blood in my body flush into the space between my thighs. He was still fully clothed, I was half bare. I felt vulnerable, and it felt dangerous but also glorious and liberated. Arms around my naked shoulders and still standing we kissed again. Then he pulled away. 

'You may want to briefly put that back on' he said handing me my shirt. Why had we stopped. Briefly anticipating my gutting disappointment he continued ' I trust you have the sense to see how dangerous this is, for both of us in this section of the base? And besides, we lack facilities to be comfortably... horizontal'. 

I grinned at him. He grinned at me but with his eyes only. I spoke.

'It'd make more sense to have me visit your 'sleeping quarters' than for you to be seen at mine. I'll meet you there' 

Then, my first sensible thought in an age, 'I'll check security feeds from my laptop and see where anyone else is, and if they look like they're likely to miss us. Miss me at least'.

'I agree' he said, bringing his face close to mine again. He wouldn't need mind control to expose the current secrets of my primal brain. Leaning in to kiss me, his hand on the back of my head, a fist curled into a significant handful of my hair, and preventing me from moving my head, preventing completion of that kiss, which was his intention, his eyes taunted me manically. Gasping again my expression betrayed completely and utterly the fact that I was completely aroused by his sense of control over me .

He walked away, turned to say 'Don't take too long Vanessa'. And he left the room.

Shaking I opened my laptop to check the security stuff and to try and figure out if what happened just happened, and how what was going to happen, with a SHIELD prisoner under 'house arrest', would happen on a base full of agents and several Avengers.

He's not even human I thought. Are we even 'compatible'?

I stuffed my bra into the pocket of my combats and got up to leave.


	2. The Man in Black

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One month ago

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, no Loki and no rude stuff, but a story has to start somewhere. I'm super tired and writing this from scratch, expect substandard work and spelling mistakes. It's late, I'll correct later.

Three months earlier...

'I hope you've not come to wipe my memories' I said, and turned around to face the man in the dark suit. Tall, receding hairline and a face that felt trustworthy, although looked like could hide many secrets.

'Nyssa Garstang?' he asked

'You're in my apartment, I think you already know who I am'. Did he really need confirmation? 'Who are you?'

'We're SHIELD, and we're very interested in your knowledge and expertise, particularly since you've gone to great pains to keep your research details from us'. 

'You've tried then?'. I paused, '...hang on, 'we?' Who else is in my home right now. Am I being bugged because I particularly resent that considering I've nothing to hide?'

'I'm the only personnel currently in your part of the building, and we do apologise for the intrusion', he said calmly. Then continued, 'you work for Stark Industries...'

'I work for the University. Stark Industries funds my research', I insisted on correcting him. 'Please get to the point of why you're here'. I glanced out of the window. Stark Tower is visible from my apartment, yet I had never seen an Avenger, or even a passing Quinjet.

'We need your knowledge of the region, and your experience in tracking and excavating on the ice shelf. This isn't about meteorites though, and there are risks involved'.

'Who says I don't have stuff to get on with here? I said without taking my eyes off the cityscape outside the glass

'Because we've profiled you well enough to know you prefer the solitude and will jump at the chance of this, plus a generous pay check always helps', he added.

'You do know me', I grinned for the first time since the intrusion.

'There is more though', he continued, and picked up one of my coffee table books, "Chitari Attack", emblazoned in a truly hideous font. More photos than text, mainly wreckage and aftermath. Lots of black and white shots of rubble. 'We know of your fondness for this stuff, so we figured you might want to indirectly bring down a war criminal...'

My grin got wider and excitement flushed through me.

'Will I get to meet an Avenger?' I said in a goofy way but without shame.

'One or two' he confirmed. 

'When do I start packing?'.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That night on base, continued

So, that episode that began the dangerous sexytimes.

It was surprisingly easy to sneak away that memorable night on base. I checked security feeds about nine times before my brain processed any of the visuals available. Most people were in recreational areas, actually, most normal human people were asleep, it was after 3am. Although time has less significance during polar winter. Thor was talking to an officer by the pool table. There was some activity outside near the quinjet pad. Routine maintenance. I wasn't even sure if Barton was still on base. No one anywhere seemed to be patrolling, or wondering where Garstang and her science project was. The rendering serum brought from Asgard had rendered. It was not going to leave Loki's veins for a while. He was as a man, although still a particularly resilient one, and any tricks he could conjure were weak and transient.

No one saw me in the corridor, no one saw me swipe the security panel at the entrance to the medical apartments that had become his place of residence indefinitely, until they figured out how to deal with a problem like Loki.

The sliding doors, whistled open quietly. I almost whistled impatiently.

'I thought you might change your mind', said he. Shirtless already, he looked even taller. He towered above me, eyes, unwavering. Looking down at me. Frost giant runt, right?

What was on my mind, apart from getting caught, found it's voice.

'Are we even 'compatible?' I said as I cautiously drew myself closer, needing to be next to the pale flawless skin. Although he gave the impression of being lean, he was muscle, in a different way to his brother. All sinew and cable under skin like a cyborg, too stylised almost to be real. Broad shoulders and a lean waist and all the expected definition in between. I hooked my thumbs through leather beltloops to pull myself closer to him, with my imperfect mortal form.

He laughed, 'I wasn't really looking for...'

'No!' I emphasized, 'I mean are we literally...physically, compatible?! We're not even the same species!'

'I imagine so. 5000 years ago it wasn't unknown for Midgard to have 'visitors' who would lie with mortal women. Sometimes those women even consented!...'. The last sentence was intended to get a reaction out of me but before I could vocalise anything I was picked up off the floor with ease, and literally dropped onto the bed. Medical apartment mattresses are firm and silent. Climbing on top of me, his knees edged my legs apart a little, and the gaze, it unnerved me. If I changed my mind now would he let me go? I didn't dwell on that purely hypothetical question.

'We haven't much time, really', I said somewhat breathlessly  
'This isn't going to take as long as it ought to' he said, in way of acknowledgement, and then pulled at my shirt. 'not this time anyway..'. I raised my arms allowing him to undress me then reached forward to unfasten him.

I paused for a moment to focus at what was before me. Compatible yes. A tight fit, definitely. Mild fear stirred within.

But it excited me.

'This is just icebreaker sex', I said suddenly, 'quick, abrupt and slightly awkward, but by the end it's destroyed all tension'. I grinned awkwardly at him.

'Are you going to shut up now?' he said and I took it as a command not a request or a question, as he liberated me from my scruffy combats and slid off my underwear, long fingers grazing at my thighs. But I did reply, with a silently mouthed 'ahhh...!' as a god pushed in to me, and then in to me again. The inhaling and exhaling accelerating as thrusts became firmer, harder, rougher as I thought he might actually fuck me into the earth's core. 

As moments passed my eyes rolled back into my head, blissed, and I arched my back, barely audible moans escaping with each exhalation. How long had he been holding me down with his hands firmly on my arms just above the elbow, cautiously he shifted slightly and brought a hand to below my waist, my rhythmic moans becoming well defined and shifting an octave lower as fingers found exactly where they needed to be. The orgasmic wave came unexpectedly quickly from me and with it a new hypersensitivity as his thrusts continued. The second orgasm was almost unbearable but I would not have refused it. Cruelly his fingers rubbed more frantically and I cried out and white spots flashed in my eyes. When I regained a sense of where I was he had already spilled into me. We both lay there, unmoving. I tensed my pelvic floors and winced a little. Sensitive, and a little bit sore, after all, I knew this would be a tight fit and we did rather rush into things.

He rolled off me and sat up leaning back in the bed, which I'd now realised was ridiculously small. Teenagers and undergraduates have sex in single beds. Not SHIELD contractors, and definitely not immortals.

There was a pause in the air.

'I can be very perceptive. Don't tell me you didn't want the loss of dignity',

I looked up and grabbed my shirt. Looking him in the eye I spoke.

'Why would I?' Our power exchange had been mutually pleasurable, and an arrangement that would purely stay between those sheets.

I dressed hurriedly, got up and without looking back left the room. He said nothing as I left.

The horror and 'what have I done?' hit me about ten minutes after I'd settled into my own bed.


	4. Discontent in the rec room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Polar winter is upon the base, and re-enforcements are not coming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, not in chronological order, and no smut in this chapter

'Go outside..' I heard somebody say, with great sarcasm as I walked in.

'It's 40 below outside!' said another agent, 'and there's a storm blowing'. Voices were terse and indignant. As I got to the main communal living space I could see nearly everyone on site was in there. 

I shuddered a bit, partly from the cold, and partly from the surrealness of what I'd seen, and stamped the remainder of the snow off my boots, someone in a suit frowned at this

Thor spoke up 'The base is veiled from sight by means of sorcery'.

'Loki's last gift' I thought out loud. All eyes were suddenly on me. 'It's true' I added. 'We know where we are, but don't have the means to leave. From the outside in, we're invisible, this base is invisble. We can't be located, even the compasses are all fucked, can't find the magnetic poles at all'.

'We're stranded?' aid a new suit, who hadn't spoken before. Blond guy, late 20s, nervous looking. Probably from IT.

'Kind of' I said, 'for the time being anyway, a solution might be easier when we're past winter, but if anyone makes it here before the sunlight returns, it's by luck, chance, or incredible patience...OR superhuman strength' I added

'I thought you said the serum had disabled his abilities, repressed them?' said the blond agent again. Definitely a newbie I thought. And his tone was confrontational, which was guaranteed to get my back up.

'Let's get something clear here' I replied, getting tired now, and desperately wanting to to retire to my room, drink Jack and argue with nothing more taxing than a video game, 'the drugs we used, the serum, is Asgardian. It's never been seen before, used before and it certainly hadn't been tested before. We had to take Thor's word on this, and that was fine with me by the way. I turned to Thor. 'I have no idea how far you travelled once you were actually in Asgard to get this stuff, I have no idea what price, monetary or personal this serum cost, I have no idea whom you consulted, or whether you had your father's blessing. You can tell me some time as we've got all winter here. I am just grateful you did bring it, as with the limited resources there's no way we could have contained or incapacitated your brother. I don't know how malevolent he might be feeling but this base is woefully undermanned and no one is coming and we're hundreds of miles from further SHIELD backup'. 

Thor acknowledged me with a half nod. 'This is a tale for another evening' he said

'I agree' I said, and looked up to address the room.

' Secondly, there's a possibility this base was concealed whilst Loki was still in the ice, or during the process of him freezing himself. This may have been a tactical move for him, he may have known SHIELD were coming to take over this research station but' I paused, and sighed a little, 'It may have also been a mere unintentional anomaly, whatever he does by what we call 'sorcery' throws up a great deal of energy. The assumption is that whatever Loki does is part of some hostile bid to subjugate the earth again, but the invisibility cloaking the base may have been accidental

'What are our options'? Said yet another man in a suit. Perhaps before the daylight returned I'd have actually learnt some names.

'Well, the serum has a slow release mechanism, and was implanted under his skin just after we dug him out the ice. He was initially very weak and it was an easy process. Loki won't be able to conjure up anything strong enough to threaten us for at least six weeks, maybe as long as six months, and he can't remove the implant himself. As soon as it was used, the excess was taken to the lab for testing so for a start we can be more specific about how long it will last, as well as any other attributes this stuff has. Dr Banner is currently working on that'.

Banner. The only one not here in this rec room getting agitated right now at the thought of being stuck on base for several weeks of zero sunlight. It hadn't crossed anyone's mind that a green episode could tear the base apart and we'd all freeze to death regardless of any imprisoned Asgardian war criminals. Perhaps this was a good thing. Banner, calmly avoiding the stress of many people in an enclosed space, absorbed and methodical in his lab. How I wished right now I was him.

'So we remove it'? Said someone.

'What?!' I said, my tone somewhat clipped

'We remove it, the implant, get him to deactivate whatever is concealing this place then use the serum to restrain him again'.

'Why the fuck would we....?' I couldn't even be bothered to finish my sentence. At least one person hadn't been listening, probably more than one. 'We didn't just microchip a cat! We had a small window of opportunity with a body that was unresponsive, in some kind of coma. In that short window we were lucky enough to find an artery, because it seems Asgardians have a similar circulatory system, and...okay basically the implant is near his heart'. It's nio just under the skin we can't just cut it out of our patient'.

'If you found an artery, should've let the the crazy bastard bleed to death' yelled someone. How unhelpful. I feared what Thor would be feeling and almost immediately the towering cosmic Viking had stood up and warned the owner of that particularly unconstructive comment in language more flowery than what would have been my own choice of 'just shut the fuck up'.

Thor had calmed down in his years as an ally though. I half wished he'd thrown the guy across the room by his throat. I half wished I could have done so. 

'Hey I don't particularly want to starve to death out here... ' another ill-informed grumble

'We have food and energy to last years so you can cross that off the list of logistical problems'. I said and got no further reply.

One last possibility. Faces started to turn to Thor. It was worth exploring.

'Can you get home?' I asked.

'Returning to Asgard in no problem. Returning here again is impossible. We do not know how far the influence of his sorcery reaches. He continued, 'I should remain here, for your sakes and for his'.

'I agree'. No one else contributed.

'I guess we should just wait a while, and we should certainly calm the hell down. Everyone should find something recreational and try not to work beyond their duty. We just need to wait out the lack of daylight. I paused. 'Any more questions?' 

There were none. People started to shuffle out to their private quarters. Some stayed. There was a pool table in this communal area. Morale needed stabilising. I considered setting an example and dragging out a gaming console but quite honestly, I would de-stress better with some alone time. My mind was cluttered with unhappy, afraid people and their questions, and I wanted them out. 

For some reason though, I didn't want Loki out, I needed to see our dangerous patient-prisoner for myself, again. I needed to ascertain his level of threat to us. Weakening him physically was one thing but I had been told he had a habit of getting into your head. Thor had also warned me his brother could not be broken. That nobody could get into his head. Still, I just wanted to see...


	5. Chapter 5

I'd met Thor several weeks earlier. As a latecomer to the mission I had a briefing with him at Stark Tower the day before we left, in such a random, sterile white conference suite that it had to have been kept specifically for use by SHIELD. We sat across from each other and were basically left to it after brief introductions. I had expected 'man-in-cape-with hammer' but got 'agreeable blond giant in civvies' instead. No hammer present. Instead in his hands an ornate vial, with markings of a similar style to Mjolnir. He passed it across to me, my first alien artefact. At first I thought it was some kind of ornate egg timer but it wasn't concave in the middle, and instead of sand an amber liquid flowed through it as I tipped it from side to side, glinting gold in the light.

'This was not easy to obtain' he boomed, in a tone indicating to handle with care.

'Is it poisonous'

'No', at least not to Loki, myself or Midgardians. It will however, incapacitate him....'

'A paralysing agent?' I assumed.

'Not exactly. The healer-witches on Vanaheim called this a 'bringer of great tiredness'. It induces fatigue, for several weeks, maybe months. Loki will be as you in terms of strength, and his magic abilities reduced to the level of conjuring tricks.'

'That doesn't sound very pleasant!?' I said automatically

'You humans manage well with your own physical capabilities...'

'Thor', I said, standing up and handing back the vial, 'I have a chronic illness and intermittent fatigue, I know what that's like and it's demoralising. Some days I can't get out of bed, some days I jog, some days I wake up fine and decide to spend two hours cleaning my apartment, to find after that I've used up all the day's available energy and I can't even put the vacuum cleaner in the cupboard and make it back to bed!'

'I am sorry Miss Garstang, forgive me for offending you...'

I sighed, 'no we're cool. I guess, sometimes these things are necessary, at least until you get him back to Asgard'.

I had probably come across too sharp, and Thor, incredibly polite, was actually cagey around me.

'If we're done here, we've got about 6 or 7 hours before we get on a Quinjet and head to the most inhospitable part of Midgard for a few weeks, whoop de doo. Temperatures that are quite likely to affect my condition, bring on fatigue and joint pain and require me to do most of my work on a laptop from a bed by the time we're about two weeks in, by my estimation! 

Thor listened.

'In the meantime, I could really go for some decent Shwarma, New York style', I grinned, he grinned. 'And a few fucking beers?' I gestured to the doors with my head, he got up and opened them for me. 

'And you can tell me all about your brother...'

Despite what the next few weeks would take out of me physically, I was thrilled to return to Antartica and the research base. Gods, heroes and villains were just an added bonus.


	6. Chapter 6

Winter was here. No more helicopter rides to the crater site, no more snow cat trips to the ice fields to take samples. the lab was full of my stuff and I'd actually managed to run tests today, lab time was tricky as Banner and Stark were on site and had kind of taken priority. Taken over more like. Still, I had got 'things' in order today and was collating the world's dullest data in my private quarters and in my pyjamas. Polar winter in full swing and my sleepwear was decidedly summery. A black vest top and baggy purple bottoms that stopped at the calf and were hardly thermal. If I can be this cosy at the pole how come my central heating was so lousy in New York?

To be fair I was at the stage in the evening where data and ice samples could go fuck themselves. A half full tumbler of scotch sat on my desk. I had my own bourbon supplies but Stark hadn't seemed to noticed I had swiped an open bottle of his that he left in the rec room. Billionaire probably didn't even notice it had gone.

I had found it odd how such a dilapidated research station had so many nifty sliding internal doors on every room. (was it a SHIELD thing? ) including private rooms. They made a nifty swishing noise though. I had the back to the door when I heard mine, preceded by absolutely no fucking knocking or polite request to establish if I was in. Must have seen the light on from under the door, but still.

I just knew it'd be him.

I swivelled round and leaned back in my swively chair and looked HIm up and down.

'Civvy clothes suit you' I said and turned my back to save my work with a couple of clicks. The tall unearthy one was in black combats and a green v neck tshirt. I did wonder how we managed to have combats in his leg size, he was way over six foot tall.

'Busy, mortal?' he enquired, 'what are you doing?'

'Baking a fucking cake, did you want something?' Not sure why the sarcasm came out automatically, and so bluntly but, whoops. Who was I talking to again? the alien who wrecked New York.

'Forgive me Loki, I'm tired, I just want to finish this and get drunk and fall asleep'. He said nothing but peered over my shoulder at my screen.

'You said you found me because of ice..?;

'Isotopes' I said. 'The ice you created and were buried in is different from the regular ice in the region, the same way the water off comets doesn't match the water on earth. It was so easy to locate you...' he said nothing and I thought back to Thor and how much time I spent with him before here, and how he never quite gave up hope his brother might be dug up alive, like Steve Rogers was.

I snapped back into the moment, 'So you're finished for the evening?' he said taking my hands and pulling upright out of my seat to face him close up. I had tried to put to the back of my mind the sleazy furtive encounter of the other night, we had gotten away with it and I had been relieved. Now I was faced with him up close, and the perfect cheekbones and ebony hair, and predatory gaze that held me. Pools of green that I could die in (and still might). My resolve was going and his slender fingers tugged at the front of my now seemingly far too low cut vest and the waistband of my pyjamas.

'Mortal..'

'Enough Loki!' I took a step back abruptly and we locked eyes in a stand off 'I am not some Asgardian courtesan' (did they have courtesans in space, in his part of space anyway?).

For a second I had stopped dead the God of Mischief

'The other night was a mistake' I continued, 'a dangerous mistake. I'm assuming you don't currently have enough sorcery skills available to SHIELD us if we did have another random encounter;.

'I assumed you had enjoyed yourself and would want to do this again. Few mortals have the opportunity to...'

'And again, with the mortal thing' I spat, 'Loki I have a name, at least learn it'.

'Nyssa' he said and it sounded great on his tongue. 

'Do you drink Loki? I mean, do you drink Midgardian alcohol?' I lifted up the bottle 'I kinda pinched this off Stark'. I think this impressed him, 'and I have another glass'.

'Normally your earth liquor has very little effect on me physiologically, but with this serum in my veins, who knows' he said with a shrug and very little bitterness. I stood up and poured, took my glass and sat upright on my bed. I gestured for him to join me. Together, resting with our backs to the headboard we took our glasses and clashed them.

'To lost souls...' I said, and found myself resting my head on his shoulder, and his ebony hair felt so soft and smelt like sandalwood. I looked to the window and the dark, 'just listen to that storm coming...'.


End file.
